I have cut back significantly on my personal care products, and considering that 2015 is my year of exploring minimalism and the ways in which it expresses itself in my lifestyle, I thought I'd ruminate on the topic a bit.
The biggest change I have made is in the makeup department.
Yes, like any other woman, I spent mornings through my teen years standing in front of the mirror for hours. Late to school, late to outings, late to start the day. My parents still hold me to this reputation, although in the last few years, this routine has been slashed - mostly out of laziness. But also partly out of awareness for the "things" I was constantly acquiring and tired of maintaining.
I am proud to say that my teeny tiny makeup bag holds everything I could ever need, which is a total of seven products. This part of my morning takes roughly five minutes.
1. Foundation
2. Shadow
3. Brush
4. Mascara
5. Eyeliner (special occasions)
6. Eyelash curler (VERY special occasions)
7. Chapstick
When my Bobbi Brown blush fell to the floor and cracked into a million pieces last winter, I decided it was a sign that I was done with blush, anyway. I'm also on a slow transition to replace all makeup with eco-friendly and natural options, so I considered it a win-win.
My Foundation was a huge switch for me. I went from Bobbi Brown foundation to Mineral Fusion All-In-One Beauty Balm. This is a tinted moisturizer, so it is thinner and lighter than traditional foundation, and also includes SPF 9. Since I'm convinced that sun screen causes cancer, I use this only when I'm working. Weekends and breaks are foundation-free.
My mascara is Lancome which I've been addicted to since a pre-teen because it is so amazing. I receive this from my mom every Christmas, so I try to make it last a whole year. I'm really looking to switch to naturally pigmented vegetable-based mascara, so when this runs out, I'm on the mission for that.
I once read how many tubes of lipstick a woman eats in her lifetime and it made me sick. I wear only Burt's Bees chapstick and if I want to feel really fancy, I use the tinted kind. That happens like, five times a year.
In terms of skin care, I use Mineral Fusion Facial Cleanser and Eye Makeup Remover. They are both mild and eco-friendly.
For my hair I use only a Bed Head hair wax and occasionally a light spritzer of the lightest-weight hairspray possible. Product makes my hair heavy, and also it's expensive to continue purchasing. I blow dry it, curl it with a wand, throw a little balm on it, and that's it. The whole curling process takes me ten minutes. Now that my hair is getting longer, it takes longer to blow dry than I like, so I've considered takings showers at night so I can skip that step.
We've been using Jason Shampoo and Conditioner which are vegetable based and biodegradable. Also I've been using Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild bar soup or all-purpose liquid soap as a body wash and shaving cream. I love that it can be used for everything from washing dishes to teeth.
And that's it!
I love the simplicity of knowing which brands and which products I like and knowing I don't need anything more than what's absolutely necessary. Everything fits in one neat little basket under the sink and in a tiny bathroom, that's a necessity, too.
